Regional Modern: Chicago's Take on Contemporary Design

Editor's Note: The Regional Modern series focuses on the regional differences in modern and contemporary architecture, countering the impression that "modern" means universal and placeless. In photo tours from Manhattan to Malibu, see how today's innovative homes are influenced by climate, environment, and culture, becoming both private oases and part of a larger landscape we all share.

I grew up in a suburb north of Chicago and lived in that city following college, so seeing what makes this area's modern and contemporary architecture unique has become second nature to me.

Chicago is a place where the architecture, for better or worse, is perceived as descending from Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mies van der Rohe. These great names are certainly inspirational, but such a lineage can also be daunting. Below is a sampling of some of the Chicago-area residences on Houzz that seem to be born from a synthesis of these names, particularly Wright and Mies.